So That Others May Live
by zachmartin304
Summary: The United States military has learned how to use time travel. A U.N. sanctioned offensive has been launched, dubbed Operation: Restore Hope II. Meet Samuel, a Divergent teen and his friends in a last ditch effort to take down the factionless regime. I DO NOT OWN ANY RIGHTS TO ANYTHING FROM THE DIVERGENT TRILOGY. Rated M for scenes of intense violence and very strong language.
1. Chapter 1: Enter Sandman

**CHAPTER ONE**

_Ayer's_ POV

"Hold on!" I shout to everyone as we began our transport across time. My Humvee begins to rattle ominously as we get closer and closer to our destination.

"Raptor 2-2, how y'all holding up up there?" I radio.

"Little shaky, I think we've got it though," the pilot responded, bringing his Blackhawk transport helicopter a little lower to my left. I looked up and saw the men and women of the 67th Medical Group being briefed by their superiors.

Being the commanding officer of this operation, code-named "Operation: Restore Hope II," I had to prep my troops for what they were about to encounter.

My driver came over the radio, "Attention all callsigns, this is Sandman. Prepare for initial briefing."

My voice somewhat shaky, I took a deep breath and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen of Task Force 6495, lend me your ears. We are about to embark on a task never before presented to mankind. A task that literally will change the future. A task so monumental that we had to rewrite the rulebook for this. We will be encountering a situation, in which the United States that we know has been long forgotten. We will be taking a stand for liberty, for freedom, and for truth. We will be assisting in toppling a corrupt, unknown government. And we will win. We are going to make a name for the United States of America for generations to come. This is Sandman Actual. Good luck, out."

We began to reach the end of the portal that had been transporting us across time. I looked around and saw every person in Task Force 6495 brace for the impact of us slowing down.

"And if you decide to take up arms against us," Evelyn said, "you will be hard pressed to find any arms to take up."# Every soldier that is surrounding her raises up some sort of an assault rifle.

"NOT SO FAST!" I shout into a megaphone from my Humvee. "I am Colonel Ayers, and I am taking charge." My soldiers all take positions and prepare for combat if needed. "I advise you lay down your arms or face the consequences."

The woman shouted, "Oh yeah? You and what army?" Almost as if on cue, a team of four MH-6 Little Birds flew overhead, armed to the teeth. A few thousand feet above, a formation of F-15 Eagles screamed past. The tanks from the 1st Armored Division rolled down Michigan Avenue to support our advance.

"The armed forces of the United States of America. I suggest you lay down your arms." I said, almost with a smirk. I turned to a MP by my side. "Go place that woman under military arrest."

Some units from the 1st Infantry Division helped to round up some of the factionless soldiers while the rest scattered throughout the city and took the prisoners to a facility that the Seabees built at the remains of O'Hare International Airport. I sent some messengers from my unit, the 308th Civil Affairs Brigade, to go find Tris Prior and Tobias Eaton and to escort them to our headquarters located at FOB O'Hare at the old John Hancock Center.


	2. Chapter 2: Operation: Taking Charge

**CHAPTER TWO**

"Hey, can I see that picture Col. Ayers gave you about the two we're supposed to go get?" Corporal Keyes asked. Sergeant Kniss handed him a small picture that held the faces of Tris and Tobias.

"Okay, so I think we should start from where that woman was talking at the podium. I saw a lot of teens over there and some of them looked like these two," Kniss told the corporal.

"Speak of the devil!"

The duo approached a group of four gathered around a stretcher. "Somebody, please help!" Kniss and Keyes ran over to the group and found a girl critically wounded and in bad condition laying on the stretcher.

"Please! You've gotta help us!" one boy said. He looked about 14 or 15 years old. Kniss and Keyes squatted next to the frail girl's body. "Medic!" Keyes shouted.

"What are your names?" Kniss asked.

One girl, who looked about 16, said "I'm Tris. Please, can you help Lynn?" The medic arrived on scene and crouched next to Lynn.

"Alright sweetheart, where does it hurt?" the medic asked. Lynn tried to move her hands but was met with an immense wave of pain.#

"Okay. Here's what I'm gonna do. I'm going to start you off with an IV, and start pumping you with medicine. Sarge, call for MEDEVAC. We're gonna have to evac her to O'Hare," the medic says.

"Command, this is Echo 1-1, over," Kniss radios as the medic inserts an IV needle into the vein in Lynn's left arm. Lynn gasps a little at the sudden sharp pain. "Now that wasn't so bad was it?" the medic says with a smile.

"Go ahead Echo 1-1."

"Command, requesting MEDEVAC immediately, over."

"Roger roger, Echo 1-1. Saint 4-0 is in your sector, ETA 15 minutes."

"Copy that, Echo 1-1 out. Tris, I need you to go find Tobias. Colonel Ayers wants to see you," said Kniss looked over to the medic. By now the medic had made an incision into the side of Lynn's chest to relieve the pressure and the bleeding inside.

"Lynn, this is going to hurt a little, but it'll stop the bleeding. Uriah, hold her hands and don't let go. Johanna, hold her head so that she won't see..." the medic continued to bark orders as he pulled out a vial of cayenne pepper.

"Ouch, owww owwww!" Lynn started to writhe under the pain of the pepper touching her blood.

The medic smiled as he bandaged up Lynn's chest. "Now that wasn't so bad! Look, the bleeding's stopped."

Tris returned with Tobias, who seemed kind of confused given the circumstances. The familiar sound of the Blackhawk's rotary blade engine signaled to the troops that help was on its way. Keyes "popped" a green flare to mark a landing zone for the incoming MEDEVAC helicopter.

"Echo 1-1, this is Saint 4-0, hovering over you over," the helicopter radioed.

"Check, we're ready for MEDEVAC," Kniss said.

The Blackhawk landed about fifty feet from the small band of teens and soldiers. Each person grabbed a part of the handle on the stretcher and hauled Lynn's feeble body aboard the red cross adorned bird. The medic attached the fluid bag containing morphine to a stand on the helicopters while Sergeant Kniss gave headsets to the brand new passengers. The chopper took off in the direction of FOB O'Hare, where a M.A.S.H. unit had been set up.


	3. Chapter 3: What the hell?

**CHAPTER THREE**

The helicopter finally landed twenty minutes later near an abandoned hangar that once housed Boeing 747s but now has been turned into a makeshift hospital. Two Air Force pararescuemen jogged to the helicopter to receive their new patient and to send her to the some of the best surgeons in the world.

"Tobias, Tris, you need to come with us," Corporal Keyes said sternly.

"But what about -" Tris started, but Tobias took her by the hand and followed the corporal to a waiting Humvee.

Sergeant Kniss hopped into the driver's seat as Keyes helped Tris and Tobias into the back seats of the Humvee. Keyes climbed into the front passenger seat, and Kniss gunned it to Task Force 6495 headquarters at the old John Hancock Center.

"Hope y'all don't mind a little music!" Keyes said as Sympathy For The Devil by The Rolling Stones started to play over the Humvee's radio.

A few minutes into the ride and Tris began to wonder. "Why did we have to come with you guys? Why couldn't we have stayed with Lynn and Uriah at that hospital?" Tris began to rattle off questions as the Humvee barreled down the remnants of Interstate 90 into the city.

Sergeant Kniss smiled and said, "Because Colonel Ayers wants to see you. We know you two know this area really well and can act as advisors to a planned offensive. There's still pockets of Erudite in the city, and we are going to take them down once and for all. That's all I know, Colonel Ayers will tell you the rest."

"But what does that have to do with us?" Tris question, but fell quiet when Tobias squeezed her hand.

Keyes turned back to face the pair, "I understand you're confused right now, but Colonel Ayers will tell you everything. When the time is right."


	4. Chapter 4: Briefing with Colonel Ayers

**CHAPTER FOUR**

The Humvee rolled into the parking lot of the remains of the John Hancock Center about fifteen minutes later. Sergeant Kniss hopped out and helped Tobias and Tris out of the Humvee and escorted them into the headquarters. As the group made their way through the maze of desks and computers, Tris looked around and made note of the multiple women that were providing logistical and other support at the headquarters.

"This way Tris," Tobias murmured, pulling her down a long hallway while following the soldiers.

Five minutes later, Sergeant Kniss knocked on a door marked with a handmade sign that read "Col. Jim Ayers, 308th Civil Affairs Brigade. Commanding Officer, Operation: Restore Hope II."

I heard a knock on the door and looked up from the battle plan I was reviewing.

"Enter," I said, and Sergeant Kniss, Corporal Keyes, Tris, and Tobias walked into the room.

I looked at my two soldiers and said, "Thank you boys, there's a break room down the hall on your left. Help yourself to some coffee." The two nodded and exited the room, closing the door behind them.

"Please, have a seat," I told Tris and Tobias, gesturing to the two chairs in front of my desk.

"I've heard a lot about you two," I said, pulling the files we put together on them from the drawer under my desk.

Tris seemed slightly uncomfortable by that remark, and Tobias said, "Why are we here, Colonel Ayers? What made you feel the need to put together this whole...whatever you call it."

I smiled, "Please, call me Jim. I came from the past because I knew what the future had to hold. I want to let you in on a little secret. I'm Divergent too. I knew exactly what would happen after the assault on Jeanine, and I intend on rebuilding this city. And you two are going to help me."

Both looked at each other confused. "What do you mean 'We're going to help you'?" Tris asked suspiciously.

I looked both of them in the eye and said, "Listen, you guys know this city better than any of my men. I lived in this city long ago, but I don't know how much the city has been changed since then. I need you two to help us, along with the rest of the Divergent, to eradicate the rest of any resistance. We will stay here as long as needed to rebuild some sort of government system, and then we will leave. Does that make sense?"

Tris fell silent, and looked like she was thinking. After a long period of silence, Tobias spoke up and said, "We're going to need a couple days to think about it."

"Okay. That's fine by me. Now about the housing situation..."


	5. Chapter 5: Tobias Breaks the News

CHAPTER FIVE

_Samuel's POV_

"Samuel, come quick! Tris and Tobias are back!" Lydia shook me awake from my nap under the apple tree near our apartment. Lydia was always hyper and energetic, never could get her to sit still...I started to doze off again.

"SAMUEL!"

"Alright, alright! I'm up..." I said sleepily.

"Let's go! Tris and Tobias are back!" Lydia grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. I shook my head quickly and we jogged down the road to the Abnegation safehouse where the Humvee had pulled up to drop them off.

"So how did it go with that Ayers guy?" someone in the back of the now packed room asked.

Tobias sat down in a recliner and Tris set herself on his lap, "He seemed kinda...off. He said he's Divergent too though. Says that there's still pockets of factionless and wants to take them out. But apparently, he needs us. Something about we know this city better than his own guys do." The room fell silent.

I piped up after a few minutes, "So what are we gonna to do then?"

Tobias looked around and said, "Well, it looks like we could have enough manpower. I'm more worried about losing more people. But I think we could trust this guy."

"But we trusted your mother and that almost got us killed!" someone else yelled.

"I realize that, but look. I don't think we have much of a choice," Tobias said angrily. "I think we should go for it."

"But what about casualties?"

"What about those affected by the simulation?"

More and more objects began to float around the room.

"Alright, alright!" Tobias shouted, "I know we've got a lot of problems. But these guys can help us. Tris and I flew on one of their helicopters to a hospital they've set up. They're performing surgeries on others, and they're being healed. I know that Lynn is in good hands. I think these guys can the job done."

I slid my arm around Lydia's thin waist and pulled her a little closer as Tobias started telling us what the new guys had planned.


	6. Chapter 6: Samuel and Lydia

CHAPTER SIX

I heard a knock on door in the middle of the night. I opened the door sleepily to find Lydia at the door. She was only wearing one of my long T-shirt that came down to about mid-thigh on her.

"Hey, bad dream?" I asked as I put my hand gently on her cheek.

She nodded softly, and I saw some tears forming in her eyes. I wiped them away softly and took her by the hand inside.

I've got a tiny apartment in a building overlooking what used to be called Lake Michigan. I turned on a light as Lydia curled up in a chair in the corner. I got her a glass of water from the sink and brought it to her. I took a seat on the arm of the chair and she rested her head on my shoulder.

"What's wrong Lydia?" I asked, wiping another tear from her cheek.

"I'm scared, Sam. Can I stay here tonight?"

"Sure, honey. You can stay here tonight. Why are you scared?"

"Bad dream. I don't want to talk about it..."

I picked her small figure up, sat in the chair and set her next to me. "Okay, I understand. How can I make you less scared?" I asked.

She closed her eyes, and kinda snuggled a little into my arms.

"You're already doing it..." she said softly. She drank the rest of the water and placed the cup on the floor, placing her hand on my chest, smiling at the sound of my heartbeat. I leaned back in the chair, and she relaxed a bit.

I closed my eyes and felt something brush my neck. I opened my eyes and looked down to find Lydia playing with my necklace, kinda tugging on it softly. I smiled, when she looked up to me with a sleepy grin, and in that moment, I finally realized how beautiful she was.

Lydia's dark brown hair enveloped her shoulders and fell across mine. Her greenish-blue eyes danced in the dim light of the table lamp. Her thin lips a shade of red from the lipstick she thinks makes her feel pretty. Her cheeks bright pink since she's blushing from me holding her. Her pale-ish skin was free of any imperfection, all save a tattoo or two. Her thin arms smooth against my rough skin. Her thin and slender frame against my stocky body...my mind began to wander as her lips made their way to mine.

My arm moved from under her legs to across her stomach, my fingertips against her neck. I felt the heat rush into her cheeks so I figured I must be doing something right. I smiled, and she pulls me in closer. I slid my arm back under her leg as I picked her up and carried her over to the small bed that I sleep in every night, and we laid down together.

"Don't let me go Samuel," Lydia whispers between stolen kisses, one of her hands on my chest, the other wrapped around me.

"I won't, I promise," I whisper back, as I pull her in closer.

Her lips against mine, I pull the blanket around us. I feel her murmur "I love you" as my hand drifts from the hem of her shirt to under her thigh. I hear a faint sigh, so I start running my thumb along her leg. Lydia wrapped her leg around mine as I broke away from her lips and gently kissed her neck.

I rolled onto my back, and felt Lydia's hands on my chest to steady herself as I laid my other hand on her other thigh.

Lydia leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I love you, Sam." She ran her hands down my arms as my hands moved to rest on her hips. I smiled when she bit my lower lip softly. But then my hand reached the scars on her back from when she was raped. And, then she just laid down next to me, and started to cry. I pulled her in closer to me, and tucked the blankets around us until she calmed down.

"That's what my bad dreams were about. I dreamed about that guy on top of me again..." Lydia sobbed. I waited for a few minutes as she continued to calm down.

Lydia smiled as I moved a little so my lips were resting gently against her ear. I started singing softly to her as she fell asleep, "I can't stop believing that wishes do come true. This life is what you make it, and I want to make it with you. 'Cause the first time I saw you, I pinched myself to see if you were really there. 'Cause meeting you is like waking up from a nightmare."

"Go to sleep, Lydia, I'll protect you."

I woke up the next morning with the scent of Lydia's perfume wafting throughout the room. I looked down and found her resting her head against my broad chest, her hand resting over my heart. She smiled in her sleep as I started playing with her hair softly, her long T-shirt twisted in the sheets from the previous night's events.

I kissed the top of her head and crawled out of bed. I decided to make some breakfast out of what I could find around the apartment.

"Good morning sleepy head," I say as I feel her put her arms around me. Lydia has to stand on her toes to rest her head on my shoulders since I'm like a foot taller than her.

She rested her head against the center of my back lightly, murmuring tiredly "Good morning Sam."

"How did you sleep?"

Lydia yawned, "Fine, I guess. I don't feel right with these soldier guys hanging around."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess I just feel like you or someone else is gonna get really hurt. And I don't want that to happen."

"I see what you mean. Here, breakfast is ready."

Lydia took a seat at the modest table in the middle of the room. I rubbed her shoulders softly as she started to eat.

"I promise everything will be alright, okay? I'll make sure of it," I whispered to Lydia, kissing her cheek softly.


	7. Chapter 7: Initial Briefing

CHAPTER SEVEN

****_Samuel's POV_

Several days passed, and Colonel Ayers began to go over the "gameplan" as he called it with Tobias and some of the other Divergent males. As much as the women from our faction wanted to go fight with us, Ayers wouldn't let them, in the basis of the torture he'd seen in some other previous victims.

Tobias called an emergency meeting with only a select few people, myself included. We shuffled into the small room in the apartment where some chairs had been set up. I sat down uncomfortably in one of the chairs and saw my best friend, and Lydia's brother, Michael file in. He sat down next to me solemnly.

"Okay, gentlemen, I bet you are all wondering why we've gathered you here this morning," a voice from the shadows said.

The eight of us looked around, looking for the source of the voice. Col. Ayers stepped from the darkness and joined Tobias at a desk at the front of the room.

"The reason we're gathered you all here is because you are going to be the Divergent representatives for the U.S. military. I've selected you eight because Tobias believes you are best fit for the task at hand," Col. Ayers spoke to the now bewildered group.

"I feel that you eight were best because you all share a similar trait. You were all born leaders. You all have the ability to make people listen to you in a kind but stern way. The U.S. military needs you to help them guide them through the city," Tobias began to explain.

"Here's the plan. Nathaniel Johnson, you will be with the 160th SOAR Squadron of the U.S. Air Force. Timothy, with the First Cavalry Division. Your job will be to watch from the skies and provide close air support if needed. Your pilots will teach you more about this when you are informed," Ayers said. Nate and Timothy nodded.

"Samuel King, Michael Wu, you two will be assisting the 75th Ranger Regiment. You will be with the ground pounders, providing intelligence to the Ranger teams as a part of the Navy SEALs."

I looked over to Michael and saw he was a pale as a sheet. He never really was one for war and to see death first hand. Col. Ayers continued to tell the rest of us what our new "assignments" were, and that basic training began in two days.

"So how did it go?" Lydia asked. I mumbled something, and kept walking shakily to the chair in my apartment. I took a seat and ran my hand through my hair, still trying to let the idea that I would be in a war with people that I've never met before sink in.

Lydia crouched in front of me, low enough to look up into my eyes. "Sam, what's wrong?" she asked.

I held up my hand, which by now started shaking like an earthquake. "That bad, huh?" Lydia asked.

"Lydia, I'm going to war. I'm going to see my friends and strangers getting shot at. I don't know if I'll be able to handle this."

She took my hand in hers softly, and held it close to her lips. "Sam," Lydia said softly, looking into my eyes, "If you ever feel scared when you're out there, close your eyes, and I'll be with you in a heartbeat."

I closed my eyes as tears started to form at the edges. Lydia climbed onto the chair with me, and pulled me in close. I sort of found her perfume to be somewhat soothing, and she rocked back and forth until I fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8: Operation: Anonymus

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sleep came slowly to me the night before I would spend the next three days in a crash course of Army basic training. Lydia decided she would spend the night in my apartment because she was worried about how I was doing.

I laid awake next to Lydia, looking out the window to see the daylight breaking over the lake. I took a deep breath. Today was the day. I crawled out of bed, trying to avoid waking Lydia. I made my way over to the attached bathroom and shut the door. Since we don't have electricity all the time, I was forced to take a shower in the dark.

A few minutes passed as I let the warm water pass over my shoulders and down my back. A million different thoughts were running through my head, I couldn't think straight. I heard a knock on the door as Lydia opened the door quietly.

"Sam, are you sure you want to do this?" I heard from the other side of the shower curtain.

I turned the water off and reached for my towel. Lydia sat down on the counter as I dried myself off. "Lyd, this is something I need to do. I might not like it, but if we can live in peace, it's worth it, right?"

"Well yeah, but I don't want to see you get hurt." I leaned against the counter and kissed her cheek. I closed my eyes for a little while, and I felt Lydia's hands on my shoulder. I opened my eyes, and found Lydia putting something around my neck.

"Lyd, what are you doing?"

"I found this necklace on a walk I took while you were meeting with Tobias. I put a picture of me inside. I want you to wear it."

"But Lyd -"

"No buts."

"Yes dear," I said kinda sarcastically, and I smiled as she wrapped her arms around me. Lydia closed her eyes.

"I love you, Sam."

Basic training was fairly exciting, in my opinion. I learned what each of the helicopters are, how to fire, reload, and to take care of two different types of guns, along with the guns that the factionless use. I learned that the "tactical name" they gave me was "Snow" and Michael "Rabbit."

The day of the offensive had come. Our two units boarded a Chinook helicopter, and started flying to our drop point at a park on the outskirts of the city. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down as the helicopters made their way across the city.

"Welcome to Ranger 2-1 Airlines. I will be your stewardess-team leader today..." I felt a light smack on my helmet. "...Also known as first on, last off. Today we'll be serving up some rounds of 5.56#, followed by our main course, all you can eat factionless. Hope you like foreign foods!"#

I looked over at Michael, who held up his hand to show how nervous he was. I held out my fist, and he bumped it with his. I laid my M249 SAW on my lap.#

"I've got you brother, we'll make it through."

"GO TO RED!"#

The helicopter landed in the park thirty seconds later, and we rushed out with the Rangers. We formed a semicircle around the tail of the Chinook, and Lt. Gutierez began to brief us on our objectives. Out of nowhere, a rocket shot out from the rooftop of a nearby building.

"What the fuck?!" one of the Rangers screamed as the Chinook slammed into the ground and the propellor was ripped to shreds, thrown everywhere.

Michael and I dropped to our bellies quickly, and just barely missed being hit by a flying propellor piece. I looked over and saw the disembodied leg of a Ranger that wasn't so lucky as the gunfire started coming from all sides.

"I've got him! Go! Go!" the medic shouted, and Michael and I split to go with our units. I saw the rest of my unit regrouping with a nearby sergeant, so I sprinted there.

"Well, you wanted to see combat, here it is!"

"Alright, first platoon's been shot to shit, you're Bravo One now."

"Yes, sarge! Where's are TACP?#"

"Ybarra! Get your ass over here!" A man in a weird yellowish camouflage joined our unit.

"You're with these guys now! Okay, here's the plan. You're platoon is to assault the old Sacred Heart hospital south of our position. It is on Franklin Boulevard. Snow can show you exactly where it is."

I somewhat stared blankly at the sergeant as he continued with our mission objective. All I knew was that my part contained hacking a computer system there, since I worked there for the longest time. Next thing I knew, someone tackled me right before a grenade went off.


	9. Chapter 9: Into the Belly of the Beast

**CHAPTER NINE**

"Get your head in the game Snow!" Sergeant Patterson pulled me to my feet as we sprinted across Augusta Boulevard to a nearby building.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Hernandez screamed as Ybarra kicked the door in.

"I've got targets, at my twelve!" I screamed as I fired a few rounds at a factionless soldier. We made our way through the building and ran across an alleyway to cover.

"Anybody got eyes on?" Ybarra called out from my right. We started running between two houses and then across Grand Avenue. I was told that if I ever wanted to contact any of the other Divergent teens for anything other than military operations, I was to use a special channel set aside only for the Divergent.

"Rabbit, how y'all hanging over there?"

"It's pretty quiet over here, Snow. I don't like it."  
"Roger that. Where are you guys headed?"

"We're supporting you guys. Sacred Heart, right?"

"Roger. Okay, we'll see you when we get there."  
"Roger, Rabbit out."

A few minutes and a couple factionless units later, and my unit began to approach the hospital. We took refuge in a nearby house and started making a plan to get into the building. I told them of an employee entrance near a shaded, hidden area that we could get into, assuming they haven't changed the pass code.

"Alright Snow, you know this area better than anyone of us. You take point,#" Patterson said.

I led them down into a drainage ditch that would cover our tracks. Luckily, it was only filled with water. Pretty soon we were at the employee entrance.

"Stack up on the door. Snow, you're up. We'll cover you."

I knelt down, and that's when I felt the bullet graze my shoulder.

"SNOW! You alright? Get that door open!" I heard, wincing as I punched the code in.

"I'm fine! Get in!" We barged through the employee entrance and barricaded the door so that we couldn't be followed.

"Snow! You guys alright? We took down the guys that tried to ambush you," I heard Michael radio to me.

"Yeah, we're fine. Bullet grazed my shoulder. Nothing too bad."

"Lydia's gonna be pissed dude. Shit man, that was close."

"I know, she'll get over it. Snow out."

I got back up on my feet and pressed my SAW to my still bleeding shoulder. Ybarra put a bandage over it so it wouldn't bleed all over the place.

"Okay guys, the computers are this way. We're gonna have to head to the fifth floor," I said, leading them down a hallway to the stairwell. I kicked down the door, wincing at the pain in my shoulder, and we made the long trek up four stories worth of stairs.

A few minutes later and we were crouched in front of the door on the floor five.

"Okay, so the offices are up here. I'm gonna need some time to transfer this data to your servers. I don't know how long it'll take, but Bravo Six should be here soon to support us, as Rabbit has been telling me," I whispered, unsure if there were enemy targets on the other side of the door.

I heard the four others whisper "Hooah," so I slowly crept the door open. I was met with two passing guards, but they didn't see me.

Patterson and Hernandez grabbed the two guards and snapped their necks. I saw by the blue armbands that they were wearing that these two were Dauntless traitors. The Dauntless in me had no pity for them. I kicked the bodies and watched them tumble down the stairs, spitting at them as they fell.

Patterson crept out from our hiding spot, and we began to take positions. I sat down on the floor under a computer and began to work my magic. Next thing I knew, all hell broke loose.


	10. Chapter 10: Michael's Hit!

**CHAPTER TEN**

Gunfire rang out all around me, so I knew I had to work quick. The computer system that I was used to at work before this whole war started was quite sophisticated, but compared to the system that the U.S. used, it was primitive.

"Hurry up over there, Snow, we're getting swarmed over here!" Patterson yelled.

"Just a few more minutes!" I screamed. I flicked on my radio, "Rabbit, where the hell are you guys?! We're getting surrounded!"

"Hang in there, ran into some resistance on the way in. Coming up the stairwell now!"

"Roger that, Rabbit," I said, "Patterson, Bravo Six will be here any second!"

"Roger, Snow. How close are you yet?"

"I need you to buy me some more time, Sarn't!" A bullet whizzed past my ear.

"Ybarra! Cover Snow's three!"

The orders continued to be barked all over the place. A few moments later, and Bravo Six bounded through the doorway. Michael ran over to me and sat down next to me.

"How much longer?" Michael asked.

"Few more seconds...done!" I shouted. "Let's go!"

Our two units bounded down the stairwell, the factionless hot on our heels. Sergeant Patterson popped a smoke grenade on every floor to disorient our pursuers. Eventually, we made it out of the building. We hid in some buildings across the street as Ybarra called in for air support. Michael and I laid down flat on our stomachs and awaited the roar of the Eagles.

I peeked out the window when I heard the engine roar of the airplane and watched with horror as the factionless soldiers were ripped apart by the bombs and rockets. Kneeling, clutched my stomach in an effort to recover.

Michael put his hand on my shoulder ,"Dude, you okay? What happened?"

I shrugged it off, "You don't want to know dude."

I shouldered my SAW and we went outside. "What's next Sarn't?" I asked Patterson.

"Snow, we're headed back to base. But all of the Humvees are in use, so we'll have to hump it the rest of the way back."

"Well let's get a move on. I know a shortcut."

We ran past the rubble of the former hospital, and I looked down at the bodies of the dead. Every once in awhile we saw a body move amongst the rubble. Suddenly I heard a gunshot behind me. We whirled around to find one of the guys from Michael's unit pointing a gun at a now dead body.

The soldier stooped down, and moved the dead man's hands from his jacket. "He was holding a grenade. Didn't want that to go off."

A few minutes later and all was quiet as we made our way along Chicago Avenue back to our forward operating base under the old interstate. A couple blocks into our trek, and a bullet just skimmed my helmet.

"SNIPER!" I screamed, dropping onto my stomach as all hell broke loose again. "Fuck! Is anyone hit?!"

I looked behind me, and saw Michael laying in a small pool of his own blood.


	11. Chapter 11: Revenge is a Bitch

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

"AWWW FUCK NO!" I screamed, dragging Michael's body into a nearby alley. "MEDIC!"

I started removing Michael's body armor and opening his uniform as the medic weaved his way over to our position. Michael started freaking out from the shock of him being shot.

"Rabbit, you've gotta calm down, you bleed more when you're nervous. Snow, lay him on his back..." The medic pulled out a needle that contained some type of medicine, adrenaline I think he called it? Anyways, the medic continued to do his work as Michael moaned in delirium.

"Ybarra! Call for MEDEVAC!" the medic shouted.

"O'Hare, O'Hare, this is Bravo One Six Actual over!" Ybarra radioed behind an embankment.

"Go ahead Bravo One Six."

"O'Hare, we're under heavy fire, need close air support. We also need MEDEVAC, over!"

"Copy that, One Six. ETA five minutes. O'Hare out."

Ybarra crawled over to the medic, who was still attending to Michael. "MEDEVAC will be here, five mikes."

"Bullshit. Nothing ever takes five minutes!# Dammit... Ybarra, call back to base. We need that MEDEVAC now!"

Ybarra started radioing back to base when I felt a tug on my body armor. I looked down, and Michael was getting pale. Really pale. He started moaning, his speech slurred.

"Sam...Sam..." Michael moaned.

"Mike, you're gonna make it. You gotta stay awake." Michael kept moaning my name.

"Michael, stay awake!" I started slapping his face gently in order to keep him awake. "You're gonna pull through."

Michael took my hand in a death grip. "Sam, tell Lydia to be strong..." his voice faded off as he blacked out.

"MICHAEL!" I started screaming uncontrollably. "I'm gonna kill every last one of those fucking bastards..."

I stood up and screamed "SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!" as the bullets sprayed from my SAW across the line of factionless soldiers. I kept my finger on the trigger long after I heard the clicking of the firing pin telling me I was out of ammunition.

Sergeant Patterson put his hand on my shoulder. "Snow! You're gonna get shot! Get to cover!"

I looked back with only scorn in my eyes. I pulled my M9 out and started firing.

"Dammit Snow! Get your ass back here!"

I turned to face him, and that's when the grenade went off.


	12. Chapter 12: Back To The Basics

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

"SNOW!"

"Snow's hit! Hernandez, pull him to cover!"

"He's bleeding pretty bad..."

The voices surrounded me faintly as I looked down to the puddle of blood forming around where my boots should be. I clutched the necklace Lydia gave to me.

The medic pulled me back and laid me on my back. Next thing I knew, my body armor was being stripped off, and the medic shot me with adrenaline.

"Snow you asshole, what the hell were you thinking?"

"Fuck, that looks bad..."

The voices began to fade out, and my fingers fumbled at the clasp of the necklace. I felt my body being loaded onto a stretcher, and even in the silence, I heard the roar of the MEDEVAC helicopter. I thought I heard Timothy's voice on the helicopter as I blacked out.

I woke up a few hours later to the sight of a ceiling fan spinning lazily. I felt a weight on my hand, and I looked over to find a nurse putting me on a heart monitor.

"Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty!" the nurse smiled. "Col. Ayers is going to stop by to check up on you."

The nurse showed me how to move the bed so I could sit up without hurting my self, and then she put a movie on for me. The next few hours passed by slowly. I was still in a haze from when the grenade went off. I decided to take a nap to pass the time.

I was woken from my nap by Colonel Ayers, who was standing beside my bed with Lydia, who I noticed was wearing a camouflage uniform like mine.

"You've done good, Samuel. I, along with the rest of the men and women of the United States military would like to honor you. You are hereby promoted to the grade of second lieutenant, and are being awarded with the Medal of Honor for your actions on the battlefield. Sergeant, would you help me, please?"

Lydia smiled as she pinned the Medal of Honor around my neck, leaning in to kiss my cheek, while Colonel Ayers pinned two gold colored bars to it. I saluted Colonel Ayers when they were finished, and they both saluted back.

"Lydia, how is Michael doing?" I asked after Colonel Ayers left to go visit other wounded Divergent.

Tears began to well up in her eyes. "Sam...he didn't make it. He died when he was in surgery." She held up a pair of dog tags. "The nurses let me keep his dog tags though."

I reached up to brush the tears from her cheeks, and she held my hand softly. We stayed like that for a while, our first chance to be intimate in what felt like an eternity.

"So why are you wearing a uniform, Lyd? And why did Colonel Ayers call you sergeant?" I asked, after she had a chance to calm down.

"After you went off to war, the soldiers came around asking for help as nurses. They thought that any wounded Divergent would feel more comfortable seeing more familiar faces around. I was made a sergeant because I was the oldest teenager to volunteer. The older women are officers."

"I see. Well it's working my dear," I said smiling at her.

"The doctors said that they didn't think you were going to pull through. You lost a lot of blood, especially after they had to take your legs. I didn't know if I was going to be able to survive without you."

"Wait, what?" _The doctors took my legs?!_

"The grenade tore your legs up really bad. There wasn't much they could do."

I threw the sheets off to find stubs below my knees where the rest of my legs should be. I ran my fingers over the scars left on my thighs. I stared in disbelief at the damage that one grenade had done.

Lydia put her arms around my neck. "Sam, I just happy you're alive."

Tears started falling from my eyes, so Lydia tightened her arms around me. My fingers inched around her arms and we just stayed there for a while.


	13. Chapter 13: Welcome Home Wounded Warrior

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

The next few weeks passed by slowly. Colonel Ayers stopped by every couple days to give me an update on what was going on. He felt that I deserved it, since I pretty much gave them my legs. The doctors fitted me with prosthetic legs, and they made it their duty to help me with anything that I needed.

Finally, the day that I could walk out of the hospital had arrived. Lydia, by now Sergeant First Class, helped me out of the hospital bed.

"Lieutenant King, are you ready to leave?" Lydia smiled, helping me into my uniform.

"As ready as you are, Sergeant," I smiled back weakly, still not used to walking on my new legs. Lydia kissed me softly, and all I wanted to do was to pull her in close and to forget the world.

I steadied myself on the side of the bed, and Lydia slid her arm into the crook of mine. We made our way to the front of the M.A.S.H. unit to a waiting Humvee. Lydia looked up to me and smiled, and we walked to the Humvee amongst the camera flashes. We stopped halfway through the procession, and I tilted Lydia's head up to look at me. I gave her a long kiss in front of all the cameras, and I felt her smile against my mouth. The Humvee drove us back to our new home, an apartment prepared for us on the south side of the city.

Lydia helped me up the stairs and opened the door. She flicked on the lights and led me over to the couch. I laid back slowly on the couch after Lydia helped me out of my ACU blouse. She took her ACU blouse off then and laid down, facing me. Lydia rested her head against mine as I wrapped my arms around her.

I am hers, and she is mine. And that's how it's going to stay.


	14. Epilouge - Everything Is Different Now

**EPILOGUE**

A few months have passed and for the most part the military has gone back to their time period. I took Lydia to a restaurant downtown that we found for our first real date. After supper, we walked along the shoreline of the lake. It was the first time I had really seen her comfortable. She had let her hair down, showing me a new, more carefree side of her.

We made our way towards the water's edge, and I got down on one knee - or what was left of it rather. Tears started to form in Lydia's eyes.

"Lydia, you know I love you so much. I can't even imagine living a day without you in it. I want to spend every last day I have left until I die with you. Lydia, will you marry me?"

The tears began flowing down her cheeks, and she managed to say yes though it.

Another couple of months have passed, and now Lydia and I are married now, with a baby on the way. I finally found work in an office downtown, and things are looking up around here. People aren't identifying as a faction anymore, and instead, are identifying as a people, a nation. A nation now called the United States of America.


End file.
